Mandel-Mantello, George

09-03-2008, by Christoph Gann

Citizenship For Jews

George Mandel-Mantello was born in Rumania, into a Jewish family. In 1939 he acquired citizenship in El Salvador. In Bucarest in 1942 following transactions in the diplomatic corp., he was appointed First Secretary of General Consulate for El Salvador. Without the governments knowledge Mandel-Mantello issued thousands of citizenship certificates on Jews from Holland, Belgium, France, Poland an Checoslovacia.

Help For Hungary´s Jews

In March 1944 Mandel-Mantello set up a committee to help Hungary´s Jews. By courier or with the post the citizenship certificates were brought into their country. Switzerland intervened and took over responsibility for El Salvador´s new citizens protection. Some time later Wallenberg took over this task. Carl Lutz assumed the majority of the 5.000 Jews unter Mandel-Mantello protection had survived the war.
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